IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2023i1p236-d1308195.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Data Management Practices for Effective Embodied Carbon Estimation: A Systematic Evaluation of Barriers for Adoption in the Building Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Geeth Jayathilaka

    (Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle NE1 8ST, UK)

  • Niraj Thurairajah

    (Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle NE1 8ST, UK)

  • Akila Rathnasinghe

    (Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle NE1 8ST, UK)

Abstract

The pervasive impact of industrialisation on our daily existence has precipitated carbon emissions that demand critical attention. Although international conventions and scholarly research have scrutinised carbon emission sources and reduction strategies, the integration of digital tools and databases for estimating embodied carbon emissions remains in an incipient phase. Consequently, this review study aims to seek to optimise opportunities for digital transformation and sustainable practices while addressing the digital carbon footprint in the building sector. Employing the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically analysed 59 publications amassed from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The study’s search parameters encompassed the analytical dimensions of “embodied carbon”, “emission data”, and “barriers to digital transformation”. Through this rigorous process, 32 salient challenges and barriers were synthesised, encapsulated within four overarching parameters: traceability, accuracy, auditability, and efficiency. At its core, this study’s primary objective resides in the evaluation of existing barriers and challenges within the realm of carbon emission estimation. By doing so, it aspires to proffer a cogent knowledge model capable of catalysing the development of digital methodologies and models that can, with a high degree of accuracy, assess the burgeoning digital carbon footprint within the expansive domain of the building sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Geeth Jayathilaka & Niraj Thurairajah & Akila Rathnasinghe, 2023. "Digital Data Management Practices for Effective Embodied Carbon Estimation: A Systematic Evaluation of Barriers for Adoption in the Building Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:236-:d:1308195
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/1/236/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/1/236/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Golnaz Mohebbi & Ali Bahadori-Jahromi & Marco Ferri & Anastasia Mylona, 2021. "The Role of Embodied Carbon Databases in the Accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculations for the Embodied Carbon of Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Röck, Martin & Saade, Marcella Ruschi Mendes & Balouktsi, Maria & Rasmussen, Freja Nygaard & Birgisdottir, Harpa & Frischknecht, Rolf & Habert, Guillaume & Lützkendorf, Thomas & Passer, Alexander, 2020. "Embodied GHG emissions of buildings – The hidden challenge for effective climate change mitigation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Excell, Lauren E. & Jain, Rishee K., 2024. "Examining the impact of energy efficiency retrofits and vegetation on energy performance of institutional buildings: An equity-driven analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 357(C).
    2. Jacek Michalak & Bartosz Michałowski, 2022. "Understanding Sustainability of Construction Products: Answers from Investors, Contractors, and Sellers of Building Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Maria Cristina Collivignarelli & Giacomo Cillari & Paola Ricciardi & Marco Carnevale Miino & Vincenzo Torretta & Elena Cristina Rada & Alessandro Abbà, 2020. "The Production of Sustainable Concrete with the Use of Alternative Aggregates: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-34, September.
    4. Marin Pellan & Denise Almeida & Mathilde Louërat & Guillaume Habert, 2024. "Integrating Consumption-Based Metrics into Sectoral Carbon Budgets to Enhance Sustainability Monitoring of Building Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-25, August.
    5. Ciprian Cristea & Maria Cristea & Dan Doru Micu & Andrei Ceclan & Radu-Adrian Tîrnovan & Florica Mioara Șerban, 2022. "Tridimensional Sustainability and Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems Applied for the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-23, August.
    6. Fahlstedt, Oskar & Temeljotov-Salaj, Alenka & Lohne, Jardar & Bohne, Rolf André, 2022. "Holistic assessment of carbon abatement strategies in building refurbishment literature — A scoping review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    7. Francesco Montana & Kai Kanafani & Kim B. Wittchen & Harpa Birgisdottir & Sonia Longo & Maurizio Cellura & Eleonora Riva Sanseverino, 2020. "Multi-Objective Optimization of Building Life Cycle Performance. A Housing Renovation Case Study in Northern Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-25, September.
    8. Gonçalves, Juliana E. & Montazeri, Hamid & van Hooff, Twan & Saelens, Dirk, 2021. "Performance of building integrated photovoltaic facades: Impact of exterior convective heat transfer," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    9. Marco Scherz & Antonija Ana Wieser & Alexander Passer & Helmuth Kreiner, 2022. "Implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Procurement Process of Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Haonan Zhang, 2023. "Leveraging policy instruments and financial incentives to reduce embodied carbon in energy retrofits," Papers 2304.03403, arXiv.org.
    11. Lachlan Curmi & Kumudu Kaushalya Weththasinghe & Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq, 2022. "Global Policy Review on Embodied Flows: Recommendations for Australian Construction Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Carlos Herce & Chiara Martini & Claudia Toro & Enrico Biele & Marcello Salvio, 2024. "Energy Efficiency Policies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-34, January.
    13. Ehsan Kamel & Francesco Pittau & Laura Mora Dal Verme & Piergiorgio Scatigna & Giuliana Iannaccone, 2024. "A Parametric Integrated Design Approach for Life Cycle Zero-Carbon Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-22, February.
    14. Augusto Mussi Alvim & Eduardo Rodrigues Sanguinet, 2021. "Climate Change Policies and the Carbon Tax Effect on Meat and Dairy Industries in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    15. Maximilian Weigert & Oleksandr Melnyk & Leopold Winkler & Jacqueline Raab, 2022. "Carbon Emissions of Construction Processes on Urban Construction Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, October.
    16. Claudio Zandonella Callegher & Gianluca Grazieschi & Eric Wilczynski & Ulrich Filippi Oberegger & Simon Pezzutto, 2023. "Assessment of Building Materials in the European Residential Building Stock: An Analysis at EU27 Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, May.
    17. Olga Beatrice Carcassi & Pietro Minotti & Guillaume Habert & Ingrid Paoletti & Sophie Claude & Francesco Pittau, 2022. "Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Novel Bio-Based Composite for Building Insulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-23, January.
    18. Rosaria E.C. Amaral & Joel Brito & Matt Buckman & Elicia Drake & Esther Ilatova & Paige Rice & Carlos Sabbagh & Sergei Voronkin & Yewande S. Abraham, 2020. "Waste Management and Operational Energy for Sustainable Buildings: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-21, July.
    19. Els Van de moortel & Karen Allacker & Frank De Troyer & Erik Schoofs & Luc Stijnen, 2022. "Dynamic Versus Static Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Renovation for Residential Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-30, June.
    20. Plank, Christina & Liehr, Stefan & Hummel, Diana & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Haberl, Helmut & Görg, Christoph, 2021. "Doing more with less: Provisioning systems and the transformation of the stock-flow-service nexus," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:236-:d:1308195. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.